Improvement in hydro-atmospheric elevators



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Jan. 17, 1871.

k f j o A o 1 r 0 X o 5' o 2 SheetsSheet 2. O. W. BALDWIN. HYDROATMOSPHERIG ELEVATOR.

Patented Jan, 1'7

new: sa e crane w. BALDWIN, or BOSTON, AssAcH usnrrs.

Letters Patent No. 111,030, dated January 17, 1871..

IMPROVEMENT m HYDRG-ATMOSPHERIC ELEVATORS.

'lfhe Schedule rafen'edto these Letters Patent and makingpart of the same. A

To all to ivhont these-presents shall come.-

Be'it known that I, O nus W. BALDWIN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of- Massachusetts, have made an invention of what I term a -Hydro atmosphcric Elevator and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, due reference being had to the accompanying drawin making part of this specification,

and in which- Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3, a front elevation of platform; and Figure 4, a vertical central and longitudinal section of an elevator containing myimprovements.

These improvements are based upon a class ot elevatorsfor hoisting human- .heings merehaudise, 80a,

of which a notable instance is seen in the application v for Letters Patent of .the United States No.99,049,

and issued to me,,inwhich the weight of the elevatorcarriage is counterbalanced by a bucket connected with it containing water, whicli is admitted to or discharged from such bucket, as the case may be,v the bucket traveling in an opposite but parallel path'to that of the carriage, and traversing the interior of a perpendicular well or stand-pipe, which receives it, a tank being situated at each extreme of movement of the bucket, and the latter being provided with a valve to regulate entrance and escape of water thereat,

substantially as shown in the above-named application.

The improvements herein named consist- First, in the peculiar construction ,of the upright well or stand-pipe in which the bucket travels, whereby I secure a stiff, water-tight, and durable object, (at very small comparative cost, such" construction consisting in the employment of an inner cylinder of sheet metal, built up as hereinafter explained, and an outer concentric jacket or casing of like material, the intervening annular space being fillednrith mortar, plaster, or other suitable material or coiirposition; and

Secondly, these improvements consist in thecom hination, with the stand-pipe-or well and the bucket contained therein, of an air-pipe leading from the atmosphere through the bottom of the bucket 'and motionless to its guides while its equipoise with-the bucket is being effected by the admission to or discharge from the latter vof water, or while a load is being deposited upon or removed therefrom, essentiallyras hereinafter explained; and

' Fourthly, these improvements consist in combining with the lower tank of the apparatus, or that containing the water discharged from the balancingbucket, a bent pipe o1"siphon,-whoseoutlet is of an altitude to correspond with'the desired level of water to be maintained in such tank, by which means the vacuum in v the well D is secured and access of air to the lower end of theplungerprevented, except as the operator may admit by means here-matter explained, thepipe alsobeing an'escape-outlet for removal of surplus water from the well. The drawing'accompanying this specification rep-, resents at A the carriage of an elevator for hoisting merchandise, 85a, of which a is the platform, ll 1) the side posts or bars, and'cthe cross-head by which the carriage issuspended, the suspensory being a rope or chain, cl, secured at one end to the center of such cross-head, and passing over apulley, e, pivoted in a horizontal platform or stage, f, receding laterally from the upper part of the frameB, which guides the ver- I tical. movements of the carriage, the opposite or remote end of the stage f being mounted upon one or more posts, g, erected in the rear of the elevatorframe B. r V 4 Y 0 represents a water-tank of suitable size and shape, mounted upon the rear part of the stage f, and provided at bottom with a discharge=pipe, It, ivhose mouth is regulated by a clapper-valve, i, this valve in turn beingconnected with a v cord, It, which passes over a pulley pivoted to the upper part of the tank, such cord being thence carried through a hole in the platformfof the carriage, and carried and secured to the base or flooring'of the elevator-(Q I The above arrangement of carriage and tank, with their adjuncts and connections, is substantially the same as that exhibited iuthc invention herein-named, and for whichLettcrs Patent have been issued to me, No. 99,049, as stated.

I. In carrying out the} first part of theseimprovements in the order before given, I erect upon the sub structure or flooring of the elevator an upriglrthollow cylinder or stand-pipe, l), composed'of a'plurality 0t sections,l I, 800., of sheet metal, preferably zinc, placed one upon another, the scams or joints between the abutting ends of the same being strengthened by encircling rings on m, 860., of cast metal, which serve not only to insure the longitudinal coincidence of the sections, but to strengthen andstifieu thewhole pipe.

Having built up in this manner a stand-pipe or well of a determined height, I inclosethe same in asecondcylinder or jacket, E, built up of a seriesof sections or short pipes, o o, &o., after the manner of a stovepipe, the formation of the two being carried on simultaneously and the intervening space filled with mortar or composition, as shown at 1), until a well of the requisite height is obtained.

The mortar or cement insures a water-tight joint and playing within the inner well 01' column D, the

joint between the two being sufficiently close to prevent escape of water or air at this point-an evil to which my former apparatus was subject to an injurious extent.

The bottom of the bucket or plunger G is provided with a clapper-valve, q, to which a hand cord, 4', is scoured, the opposite end of such cord being carried over a pulley, S, mounted upon the upper bar of the frame B, and thence downward and secured to the platform of elevator-carriage, this cord enabling the attendant to discharge water from the bucket should the weight of this water counterbalance to au-umlesirable extent that of the carriage.

This arrangement, however, of the valve (1 and cord 4' with respect to the carriage has been explained in my former application and needs no further reference herein.

II. In carrying out the second classified portion of these improvements I erect upon the bottom of the bucket or plunger G an air-pipe, t, this pipe rising to or slightly above the top of the bucket, and opening fi'ee communication between the atmosphere and the interior of the well, a cock, c, being applied to the pipe to partially or entirely shu tion when necessary.

Should this 'coc'k be suffered io.remain closed the tendency to a vacuum within the wellduring the rise of the elevator-carriage, and the resistance of the atmosphere in such well during the descent of such carriage, would, of course, seriously interfere with if not entirely retard the movements of the latter.

It is, however, very desirable to bring both these results, to a certain extent, into action, in order to prevent too sudden a rise or fall of the carriage, and the adoption of the pipe t and cock c, or their equivalents, is to enable the extent of the resistance to be varied with respect to the load upon such car-- riage.

111. In pursuance of-the object embracedin the third part of these improvements I suspend, below the platform a of the carriage A, and in suitable hangers oinboxes, w, a horizontal shaft, ,7, the'opposite ends of such shaft extending beyond the sides of the platform, and being provided each with a grooved pulley, a or a", as represented.

To each pulley two eords,lr or I), are attached,

at one end, and wound in opposite dircctiousabout the periphery thereof, one cord being carried upward. and secured to the cross-bar of the frame B, and the other downward and secured to the base or foundation of the elevator. Upon one end of the shaft 2, for convenience to the right hand, I mount a circular disk or drum, 0, while over this disk 1 dispose a bent lever d, suitably pivoted to the platform and vibrating in a slot formed therein, the lower or horizontal portion 0' of such lever constituting a ii'iction-brake to act upon the disk, while the upper portion f of such lever, which protrudes through the platform, constitutes a handle whereby to depress the brake upon the disk with a power sntficient to partially or entirely prevent or arrest rotation of the shaft 2 and pulleys a a and, as a consequence, the motion of the -carriage.

tofi this communica- This stoppage of the elevator-carriage becomes necessary when, as before'stated, a load is to be placed upon or removed from it, or while thecquipoise of such carriage is being effected by the attendgthis to be easily the movement of the carriage; or, by starting or releasingonce or twice the friction of the brake upon the disk, enable the attendant to ascertain immediately if the proper balance of the carriage has been attained.

By disposing the brake below the platform the latter is left free from encumbrance, and presents an'unobstructed surface for reception of merchandise or passengers.

This position of the bra-kc, also, is attendant with much greater security to passengers, as the chances of its giving way are infinitely less than would be the case were the snspensory of the carriage a constituent part of the brake, and the latter, in my invention, becomes a means of safety against accidental descent of the carriage.

IV. -In carrying out the purpose sought in the the innncdiote vicinity of the lower ta nk H, of the apparatus, (which tank, in the present instance, is formed by the lower part of'the well or stand-pipe 1),) a pipe, bent preferably into the form of a siphon, the outer limbs of which terminate at such an altitude above the bottom of the tank H as practice shall determine necessary or desirable.

The pipe g, while permitting of escape of surplus water from the tank H, also insures, at all times, a given quantity of water therein, and by this means prevents such a communication between the well I) and the atmosphere as would destroy the vacuum in the former did the atmosphere have free access to both sides of the bucket or plunger G.

'Thc control of this vacuum, by the admission of a greater or lesser amount of air, is effected by the operator-by means of the cock c in the pipe t, as before stated.

Claims.

1. The construction of'thc stand-pipe or well herein explained, the same consisting of two upright hollow cylinders of sheet metal, of different "diameters, arranged one within the other, the space intervening between them being filled with a suitable cement or coi'nposition,whereby a tight joint and stiffness of structure are insured, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the poising plunger or bucket of the elevator, an air-pipe, or its equivalent, which opens and regulates connnnnication between the interior of the well or cylinder in which such plunger plays, and. the atmosphere above such plunger, for purposes stated.

3. The combination, with the carriage of an elevator, of a well or cylinder and a poising-plunger or bucket playing therein, and connected to the carriage, and operating in conjunction with two water-tanks, the arrangement of the carriage; cylinder, and plunger being as and for purposes stated.

4. In combination with the poising-plunger'or bucket, and't-he carriage of an elevator of the class upon which these improvements are based, a suitable brake or stopping mechanism for arresting motion of said carriage, for purposes set forth.

ant, and the disk or drum 0' and lover d constitute a and control the rate of this speed, or to entirely stop 4 fourth portion of these improven'ients, I dispose, in

- scribed.

5. The combination, with the elevator-carriage, at such times {l fldlll such quantities as shall be adof theshaft; z, disks 9; drum 0, pulleys a e, cords mitted by the opera-tor by means of the air-pipe t, or I! b", '01- their equivalents, and the fi-i'etion-hzn' or its equivalent. bent le\'el"ll,'the whole operating as shown and de- CYRUS \V. BALDWIN.

6. In combination with the well 1) and plunger Witnesses:

G, the pipe g, or its equivalent, for preventing ac- FRED. CURTIS,

cess of air to tllGlOWCl' end oft-he plunger except EDW. GRIFFITH. 

